


Beginnings

by river_soul



Series: Only Just a Little Awkward [1]
Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-30
Updated: 2014-05-30
Packaged: 2018-01-27 02:41:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,326
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1711988
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/river_soul/pseuds/river_soul
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lorne isn’t sure why he does it. He’s seen McKay cut down plenty of people before but there is something in the way Dr. Novak holds her head, eyes downcast that make something inside him twitch violently.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Beginnings

Lorne isn’t sure why he does it. He’s seen McKay cut down plenty of people before but there is something in the way Dr. Novak holds her head, eyes downcast that make something inside him twitch violently. He knows she’s a capable woman, he’s seen her hold her own against Hermiod and Dr. Kavanagh for god sakes but he can recognize the difference in her body language now. There is a slight quiver in her bottom lip and suddenly he bites off a _Dr. McKay_ so harshly that even his men turn to him, fingers edging nervously around their weapons.  
  
Novak flinches, gaze turned away from them and he can sense the weight of McKay’s sharp words on her and feels that twitch inside again. “Dr. McKay,” he starts with a deep breath, exhaling loudly in an attempt to saddle his anger. “If you’re done bitching,” his eyes flicker to Novak and he watches twin red spots appear at the corner of her cheeks as a small hiccup work its way out, “Get to work.”  
  
McKay opens his mouth, an indigent retort ready but Lorne cuts him off before he can even begin. "Unless it's 'We're done' I don't want to hear it," he warns, gaze darting to Novak once again. He tries to catch her eye, to be reassuring but she’s cradling her laptop in one hand and a small device in the other as she works. He sighs, a little louder then necessary and sends Stackhouse and Portman on another perimeter sweep and _goddman_ he hates the damp heat. He shifts impatiently before leaning against a stone outcropping, watching the two scientists before him under the pretence of making sure they’re not going to inadvertently blow everyone up. Not that’d he know of course but he can feel Stevens watching him and he has to do _something_.  
  
“Ah ha!” McKay cries and Lorne straightens with Stevens, hand going to his P-90. “Novak, try to be useful and hand me that,” McKay says, snapping his finger in the general direction of their equipment, eyes on the screen in his hand. Both men relax but Lorne can see Novak stiffen, tension lining the muscles of her neck and it makes his hand itch to smooth it away, to make her smile and talk again so he can listen to the inane chatter that made the walk from the gate and McKay’s complaining about the heat tolerable.  
  
He won’t though and Novak is abnormally quiet when they’re finished and making their way back, packs weighted down with samples and equipment. McKay is _still_ bitching about the heat and how heavy his packs are and Lorne has to keep the laugh from falling out at the look that passes between Stackhouse and Portman. He knows no one wanted the assignment with McKay but Sheppard was off ‘playing Captain Kirk again and I mean really, what’s with that? Isn’t this like the fifth time?’ McKay had asked of them.  
  
Lorne managed to make a noncommittal sound in the back of his throat, not that it mattered because Mckay would keep talking and he was pretty sure the good doctor thought he was an idiot anyway. “Aren’t there rules about sleeping with alien women? Diseases? “He questioned. “There should be,” McKay continued and Novak stumbled. Lorne reached out to steady her, his hand on the small of her back, momentarily distracted by the splay of his fingers across her uniform.  
  
“Let me take one of your packs,” he offers.  
  
She refuses with a, “No thank you Major,” but he catches her grimace as she shifted them higher.  
  
He wants to roll his eyes. “Are all scientists this stubborn?” He asks, already clipping his P-90 to his belt and taking one of the heavier packs from her before she can protest.  
  
There was a brief “hey,” as she turned around, brow drawn together in the look she often favored Hermiod with when she was _really_ annoyed.  
  
Her face softened after a moment when she realized he was joking and he let his infamous smile ease the tension from her shoulders. “Oh sure help her,” McKay says and Lorne bristles. “I have a bad back you know. My mattress is prescription,” he mutters and when he turns Novak makes a face at him, nose scrunched up, lips pursed and Lorne can hear Stevens cover a laugh behind him with a cough and he can’t help but smile too. He touches her shoulder, to let her know he understands.  
  
But then she hiccupped.  
  
 _Well shit_ he thinks as he watches her eyes go wide and panicky and her mouth open. He can practically hear the nervous words spilling out.  
  
“Major, we’ve got incoming,” and she flinches next to him at the sound that cuts through his earpiece after a burst of static. “Two Wraith darts just came through the gate. They’re heading your way,” Taylor warns and all Lorne can think is _thank god_ for the interruption.  
  
They’re almost running by the time they hit the gate and Lorne has to give McKay credit because he keeps himself together and has enough sense to palm his gun. He can already hear the hum of the gate as it engages and Novak hiccups beside him as they approach.  
  
“The darts! Incoming!”  
  
Lorne looks for McKay but he’s already disappeared through the gate and Novak is standing there, eyes wide, still hiccupping. He shoves her hard, watches her disappear through the gate as fire whizzes overhead before the rest of his men jump through and he follows soon after. His foot just barely clears the event horizon as the shield activates and the medics are on him. He turns, checking for the rest of his team and he already knows McKay is fine because he can hear him complaining.

Loudly.  
  
He watches Novak wince and touch the back of her head, hand coming back bloody. Her eyes widen slightly and he’s stepping forward, suddenly remembering just how hard he shoved her through the gate but Carson is at her side, talking quietly. She’s babbling and hiccuping and he can see her gait is unsteady and that she looks a little pale.  
  
One of his men helps take the pack from her shoulders and he stops, chest burning with exertion and fingers numb.  
  
\--  
  
He waits until it’s near midnight to go see her. The infirmary is oddly deserted, quiet except for the faint beeping of monitors and dull thud of his boots. Novak is easy to find and surprisingly awake, staring at the ceiling. He stands at the end of her bed until she realizes someone is there. She blinks rapidly, mouth thinning.

“They’re keeping me over night for observation. They think I have a concussion.” She smiles. “I got four stitches, I’ve never gotten stitches before,” she tells him with a hint of pride, and he can sense the acceptance of his unspoken apology. There is only a moment of silence between them when he thinks maybe this was a bad idea, that he shouldn’t of come but then she starts talking.  
  
She talks about nothing and everything and it seems easy, natural to take the chair beside her bed. In her more flustered moments her tone rises shrilly but there is a distinct lit of femininity underneath that nervous laughter and it’s soothing when all anyone wants to talk about is death and the wraith. Major Lorne has never been an _up_ guy but even he needs a break so he stays, tells himself it’s because she gives him her Jell-O and he should eat it because she won’t.

"It’s made out of ground up horse hooves, did you know that?" she asks him.  
  
She falls silent eventually and he touches her ankle, hand resting on the thick, woolen blanket draped over the lower half of her body and she twitches. He holds her gaze. “I’m glad you’re ok,” he says.  
  
She doesn’t hiccup.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Also, new [tumblr](http://river-soul.tumblr.com/) friends are always welcome!


End file.
